The Lost Star's Sea

by C. Litka

06

  The Island Dove arrived, several rounds later. I had expected a small Saraime trading ship, but it proved to be a sleek 50 meter long-voyage yacht - an example of the most up-to-date type of yacht being built in the core islands. As such, it was designed to land on the large islands, so it had four large, enclosed propellers mounted on short wings, two to a side, fore and aft that could be used not only to steer the ship in flight, but be swung vertically to allow it to descend and land on the large islands vertically. The relatively minor gravity of Windvera's edge, was no match for the powerful propellers, and so it majestically descended to the narrow landing field on a cushion of pine-scented wind.

  Once the staff had secured the Dove with ground lines, its 23 passengers and 15 crew members poured out to meet and greet the assembled staff and future passengers. The Hermitage was stuffed to the rafters and cheerfully noisy for dinner and the after dinner free time, which lasted well beyond the sleep period gong.

  I spent the following round helping resupply the Dove with the fuel and food that had been collecting in the hangar. I was told that the Dove class yachts were usually fueled with plant-derived oil, which was converted to electricity by either a steam or diesel powered generator. The Island Dove, however, was special-built to burn both oil and the more common charcoal along with extended bunkers to make the extensive voyages between the island groups, and refuel on far less advanced islands where charcoal was the only option.

  The Island Dove sailed on the fifth round, and by the sixth, only the normal, assigned staff, and the six of us slated to travel aboard the Complacent Dragon remained. Which worked out well, since the Complacent Dragon arrived out of the mist, before the mid-round meal on the following round.

  Its propellers idly spinning, it slowly emerged from the mist of the open side of the narrow valley, cheerfully hooting its foghorn. Its propellers were fixed, so that it came drifting in with a kite-wing rigged overhead. Once over the field, it killed its engines and settled to the ground, the kite wing slowly collapsing over it.

  Since I was to take a long voyage aboard the Complacent Dragon, I'll sketch her charms in full here. She could not have been more of a contrast to the Island Dove if it had been custom built to be so. She was the basic Cimmadar transport - some 25 meters long with a slab-sided hull with the bridge superstructure aft. Her slab sides had been painted a deep green with some gold trim where they could find something to trim. She had two enclosed propellers, one on each side mounted above the steering wings aft, along with two steering fins forward and a double rudder aft of the bridge. As a transport, she had one big hold, but this had been modified - cut in half horizontally to create two decks, the lower one the cargo hold, and the upper one a long deckhouse that stretched forward from a small open deck between the bridge to the bow. Two modern steel launches were secured in cradles on the upper deck of the deckhouse. The deckhouse had compact accommodations for 14 passengers and crew - each large enough to accommodate the doorway and a meter to swing a hammock. She also had a cozy wardroom that doubled as a dining room when the long table was let down from the ceiling. The deckhouse deck was enclosed by a light cage, to keep people aboard. There was a rocket launcher in the bow. Between the bridge and deckhouse was a sheltered deck and aft of the bridge, between the two rudders, was another caged-in deck with a second rocket launcher in the stern.

  Directly below the bridge was the captain's quarters, and behind it, the compact galley equipped with a synth-galley behind a cupboard door, and below that, the small engine room and two sanitary compartments. The engine room housed the small, Unity-built micro reactor/generator that provided the electricity needed to drive the electric engines and the electrical appliances, along with an emergency steam turbine generator and a bank of emergency batteries, with cabinets for spare parts. The micro-reactor and synth-galley made the Complacent Dragon suitable only for those with the full knowledge of the Order, or very incurious passengers.

  We gathered with the staff on the field to greet the crew, and to offload its supply of new books to scan. The normally reserved Trin had been very talkative and clearly excited since the ship had been sighted and now eagerly awaited the appearance of its captain. Py watched her with his mild smile, sharing her excitement.

  The crew tossed down some lines to secure the boat, and once attached to anchor rings set in the ground, the side cargo door swung open and the Complacent Dragon's two crew members jumped down, to be cheerfully greeted by the staff. We held back. Captain LyeCarr appeared in the cargo doorway, waved and called out greetings until his eyes fell on the strange party in the rear of the gathering - four strangers. He stared hard, for a few seconds before his wide smile got even wider. With a long leap, he cleared the gathered crowd and bounded for us - or rather for TrinNatta.

  The bold and dashing Captain LyeCarr in the flesh was not the fellow I was picturing in my mind. He was rather short, plump, and fine-feathered. This brought a little smile to Naylea, since it meant that he was no marital rival to Py. I vaguely recall seeing him around and about during my time on Redoubt Island. I probably didn't know his name back then, since I hadn't worked with him. I had an impression that he was on either Admiral DarQue's or Prince ImVoy's staff, and likely involved in the secret staff planning rather than in the actual work of refitting the fleet.

  Reaching Trin, he swept her into his arms, swung her about and kissed her on both cheeks. Clearly he was as bold, if not as reckless, as claimed.

  'Natta, my dear! It is you! Wonderful! Amazing! Unbelievable! Of course I never - hardly - ever doubted that you would survive the disaster! My, you look wonderful as ever! Oh, you've made me so happy!' he exclaimed in a rush of words as he held her in his arms.

  Trin managed to get a quiet word or two in - perhaps. But they were unnecessary - the happiness that glowed from her smile was more than enough.

  LyeCarr set her down and beamed at her, asking a dozen questions about her, how she was, how she got here without pausing for an answer - no spoken answer appeared to be required.

  When, at last, his questions had run down, he turned to us, beaming. His bright eyes and wide smile brightened and widened again when he recognized me. 'Why, if it isn't the infamous Captain Litang - the fellow who put a dart into my treacherous boss. What in the Infernal Island are you doing here? Didn't we send you packing?' And then extending his hand, 'A pleasure to meet you again, Sir. Too bad your dart was a non-lethal one. Still, I suppose it wouldn't have made any difference - the Old Lady apparently hadn't let moss grow on her navy. We shouldn't have given her 30,000 rounds to get ready for our return. But that's an island passed. We're alive!'

  'Happy to see you again, Captain LyeCarr, and under such happy circumstances,' I said, taking his hand. 'Imvoy sabotaged my ship and tried to kill us all on the outer reef. We managed to survive and I returned to warn you of his ruthless ways, but you blew up the island under my feet, stranding me here.'

  He laughed. 'I'd liked to have been there to see the whole island blow up, it must have been a spectacular blast! Too bad you didn't arrive in time, though I doubt that it would've done any good. We were going to take back the Cloud Throne, with only three battleships and a great deal of surprise. But just like all the other times, we fell short on both accounts, so it ended up just like all the other times as well!' he added, shaking his head, momentarily sad, as his eyes moved on to Naylea and Py beside me.

  He cupped his hands and bowed. Then looking up he stared hard at Naylea for a second, and then exclaimed, laughing, 'I know you, teacher! You're hard to forget, since the last time we met there were lots of fireworks!'

  She returned his greeting, giving him a guarded look. 'I'm afraid I don't remember?'

  'On the deck of the flagship! I was one of the party around the Empress, the Prince, and the Admiral when you came on board!' And turning to me, he added, 'You sly dog, you. We thought you were soft on our assassin! All that talk of civilized warfare - to the Infernal Island! Still, I can hardly bl
ame you!'

  'She could've killed me, but didn't. Soft on her or not, I owed her?'

  He gave me a knowing leer.

  'And yes, I was, and still am, soft on her.'

  'Well I can't blame you. And now that she's taken up the proper Way - and my dear Natta hasn't killed her?

  'She is my friend,' said Trin.

  'And is now my dear Natta's friend, you shall be mine as well.' he said, extending his hand. 'The past is past, and indeed, things might have ended better if you had managed to assassinate my boss. They couldn't have ended worse.'

  Naylea took it. 'I was under orders, Captain. And simply doing the task I was ordered to do. Still, as you say, I have seen the errors of that life, those orders, and put my old ways away. I am sorry for what I did, but as you say, I doubt anything I did or didn't do would've mattered in the end. Too much time had passed, and the Empress did not forget. She relentlessly pursued her enemies beyond the shell for all those many of thousands of rounds.'

  'Too true, too true. Still, here we all are, alive and happy!' He turned to Py, 'I am afraid that I cannot seem to place you, teacher.'

  'LinPy is?' Trin paused, 'Is my close friend. He's from the Saraime. He and Naylea were sent on a mission by the Order to deliver a warning to some pirates and ended up here. We've traveled, all of us, the length of Windvera to find a way to return to the Saraime Islands.'

  LyeCarr beamed at her and then at Py, not deceived by that close friend part. 'Delighted to meet you, Teacher LinPy. I am glad Natta found you.'

  Py returned his smile. 'And I you, Captain LyeCarr, especially since you're a such dear friend of Natta. The mere news of your survival has made her very happy. I am looking forward to sailing back to the Saraime aboard your ship as well as becoming friends.'

  'You are to sail with me?' LyeCarr exclaimed, turning to Trin. 'And you as well?'

  She nodded. 'My crew has settled into life on these islands, but I am not a small island girl, so when Captain Litang turned up in the marketplace of Kaliza and talked of how modern the big islands of the Saraime are, I invited myself along.'

  'That's wonderful! You will find the Core islands to your taste!' he exclaimed, with a quick glance at Py. 'Oh, but what a long voyage I'll make of it!'.

  As he was greeting us, I noted the dragons had come down from the forest and Siss was very quietly stalking LyeCarr. He must have sensed her, since he turned back to find himself nose to nose with Siss.

  'Err?' said LyeCarr, startled enough to be at a loss for words. He stared into those bright black eyes of Siss's for several seconds, unsure of what to do.

  Siss slowly opened her mouth, showing her many teeth - and giving him a blast of dragon-breath.

  'Ah, another old friend,' I said, lightly, adding to myself "I hope." 'You remember the sentry serpent at the entrance to the cliff?'

  'Yes? Do you mean to say this is?'

  'Yes,' said Naylea. 'Allow me to reintroduce you to Siss. We rather bonded during my time on the island - birds of a feather, I guess. And she has followed me ever since. I trust you weren't mean to her. Though you are now a follower of the Way, aren't you Siss?'

  She gave a low menacing growl, ever the comic.

  'Of course not. I'm hardly that foolish. In fact, the staff had adopted one of her offspring for a pet?'

  Siss growled menacingly again.

  'We treated him royally, though I don't know how he fared in the battle?'

  'She doesn't like being considered a pet. She's not a dumb lizard, but rather an intelligent dragon - and a telepathic one. And she's just having fun with you. Loves to kid. She's perfectly harmless.'

  'If you say so. Pleasure to meet you, Siss.'

  Siss barked a laugh, and then another menacing growl.

  'Oh, leave him alone,' said Naylea. 'She likes her feathers groomed if you want to get in good graces with her. You'll have plenty of time to learn how, since she sails with you as well. Indeed, we all are.'

  'Great!' exclaimed LyeCarr, recovering his bravado. 'Nothing like having a full grown sentry serpent at our side if it comes to trouble. The small islanders swear by them. They're great for hunting too, I understand. I've always wanted to hunt feather-bears in these hills, but my mates here tend to frown on that. It's not very kindhearted. What do you say, Siss? Perhaps we can slip out before we sail and see if we can find a bear.'

  Siss gave a rather tentative bark of approval. Squirrels were more her game.

  'Oh my, there's two of you?'

  'That would be Hissi. She's more of a card shark than a hunter. Don't play cards for coins with her.'

  'Hissi,' he bowed. 'Do you know how to play Queen's Revenge? We play it aboard ship - but its better as a four handed game?'

  Hissi gave a happy, but tentative bark. I didn't think Queen's Revenge was one of the many games she knew.

  'Great! You'll pick it up soon enough,' exclaimed LyeCarr reading her bark on several second's acquaintance - a perfect example of the two-way telepath ability of Simla dragons.

  Malin walked over to join us.

  LyeCarr bowed and said 'Greetings Chief. We've got a ton of books for Botts to scan. They went all out this time.'

  'Ah, about that. That project is on temporary hold. You'll be happy to know Botts has a new job for you and the Complacent Dragon, though it's strictly a volunteer job.'

  LyeCarr's customary smile widened. 'Am I sensing a bit of danger?'

  'If Litang here is to be believed, yes. A bit. Though it also involves a possibly long and tedious search as well.'

  'It can't be more tedious than running books across the Endless Sea. Tell me more!'

  'We'll brief you after dinner. Let's get at your cargo. Botts is eager to get its expedition underway.'

  'Right you are, Chief. Even without knowing it, I'm as eager as Botts.'

  Chapter 48 The Serpent Throne